tokyo

Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

To commence this extravagant soirée, a cutting-edge opening ceremony took place on Chuo-Dori street, in front of the Winter Garden-inspired facade. In a twist on tradition, a digital animation replaced the classic ribbon cutting, featuring Hélène Poulit-Duquesne, Boucheron’s CEO, and the radiant Rola, the brand’s Japanese ambassadress. The façade, inspired by the changing seasons, was unveiled with a touch of technological magic.
Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

The star-studded event saw the presence of luminaries like Loren, Juri Ueno, Shuzo Ohira, Aya Omasa, Rinko Kikuchi, and many more, all underlining the maison’s enduring appeal.

Inside the boutique, a journey through time and heritage awaited. On the first floor, the iconic Boucheron creations, framed by an intricate mosaic floor, provided a glimpse into the brand’s rich history. As visitors ascended to the second floor, they entered an intimate space that recreated the Jardin d’Hiver of 26 Place Vendôme, now adorned with lush Japanese flora, a testament to the fusion of cultures.

Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron
The third floor showcased a dazzling array of bridal offerings, where couples could leave their wishes in a digital tree of dreams, a collaboration with Random Studio. Finally, the top floor embodied Boucheron’s innovative spirit, displaying the latest high jewelry collections amid pop-inspired interiors.

This 1,000-square-meter boutique, the second largest in the world, marks a significant step in Boucheron’s journey in Japan, a market they entered in 1973. CEO Hélène Poulit-Duquesne shared her vision of establishing Boucheron as a leader in bridal collections, jewelry, and now, high jewelry, setting the stage for a thriving future.

Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

The Ginza flagship epitomizes Boucheron’s deep connection with nature, a theme central to the Maison since its inception. From the ever-evolving facade representing the four seasons to the unique experiences on each floor, the boutique celebrates the beauty of the natural world. It’s a testament to the shared love of nature between Japan and France.

Loren. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

Rola. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

Photo: Instagram/@skims
Kim Kardashian‘s Skims has been announced as the first-ever official loungewear outfitter for the national American team competing in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. Shared on June 28, her shapewear brand will provide underwear, loungewear, and pajamas for female American athletes in the team. Meanwhile, Ralph Lauren, which has designed the opening and closing ceremony looks for Team USA since 2008, has designed this year’s outerwear too.

In anticipation of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games scheduled to start on July 23, many national teams from around the world have also been proudly sharing their uniforms on social media, patriotically adorned with colors of their countries’ flags or familiar motifs, featuring designs by popular fashion brands.
Team Australia, for instance, is set to walk into Tokyo’s Japan National Stadium at the opening ceremony with their recently debuted green and gold Olympic uniforms by Asics. The shirts under the jackets, designed by Olympic super featherweight boxer and indigenous artist Paul Fleming, incorporate symmetrical designs of Japanese origami with 52 pairs of footsteps emerging from the centre, an an ode to indigenous athletes who have represented their country at the Games. Their stunning blazers, created by clothing brand Sportscraft, are lined with the monikers of 320 Australian gold medal winners.

Team Canada’s Olympic uniform for their closing ceremony, on the other hand, based on the ‘Canadian Tuxedo,’ took the Internet by a storm when it was announced last year. Canadian department store chain Hudson’s Bay collaborated with American denim brand Levi’s to create a denim jacket with striking patches on the front and black and red graffiti splattered on the back. More subdued red-and-white pieces, such as a warm-up jacket, striped track pants, and a T-shirt with a basic maple leaf motif, sit beneath this unconventional outerwear.
“Tokyo is also known for its street art and fashion,” Hudson’s Bay said. “We paid tribute to this in the must-have piece of the collection – the forever cool jean jacket. The graffiti graphic and unexpected patch placements capture a youthful and celebratory feel,” they added.

Eh, we hear people have been curious about our Canadian tuxedos after the release of @TeamUSA’s uniforms 🤔
Well you can 👀 all about our Tokyo 2020 kit here ➡️ https://t.co/ahIUBRTzhs pic.twitter.com/8hVSzRlOG5
— Team Canada (@TeamCanada) April 15, 2021

Team Turkey’s athletic wear, designed by Turkish designer Bünyamin Aydın, founder of famed Turkish brand Les Benjamins, was showcased just a few days ago on June 24 in the Turkish capital of Istanbul. The collection made use of Nike jersey uniforms, with a color scheme dominated by reds and whites, with some navy blue looks. Aydın explained how he merged his Turkish roots into the logo patterns for the official sportswear, visible on the accessories, tracksuits, windbreakers, zippered tops, and polos.
“The journey started off going back to my heritage. With my own brand Les Benjamins, I was always inspired by carpets and rugs and the heritage of them… I had to focus on Anatolian rugs, which are from this country. I went to the city where they create Anatolian rugs, and I was with the villagers there and they told me how they do the craftsmanship behind creating their rugs. It helped me design and get more inspired,” he stated, according to Forbes.

Made from recycled fiber and dyed with eco-friendly pigments, Team Taiwan’s Summer Olympics uniform is all about being sustainable. The vivid blue uniform also displays Team Taipei’s plum blossom logo, which is inspired by many national symbols, like the ethnic groups of Baiyue or Taiwan’s 100 mountain peaks.

While the Russian team will be neutral this year, sporting red, white and blue in abstract color blocks across the front and the Russian Olympic Committee’s logo, Czech Republic designer Zuzana Osako has created her national team’s designs using print dye, featuring cobalt blue jumpsuits and white strapless dresses for women, and cobalt blue vests, white shirts and trousers for men.

The Olympic games will last until August 8, and the Paralympic games will start August 25 and go until September 5.
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TOKYO — Uniqlo opened the doors of its newest large-format store on Friday, in the historic and culturally significant neighborhood of Asakusa. The store follows the concept of “our neighborhood” and aims to support the area’s local businesses, residents and artisans.
With a selling area of more than 21,000 square feet, Uniqlo Asakusa also boasts one of the longest continuous store windows of any Uniqlo store. It is located in the heart of Asakusa, which prior to the COVID-19 pandemic was bustling with international tourists on any day of the week. The area is known for its historic pedestrian lanes lined with souvenir stores and leading up to Senso-ji, Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple and one of its most significant. It is also a district that hosts the workshops and stores of many traditional craftspeople, some of whom Uniqlo featured in various ways inside the store.

The double-level main entrance to the store is dominated by a giant paper and wooden lantern, which was created by a local workshop and hand-painted with the Uniqlo logo. At nearly six feet per side, it was both the largest lantern the shop had ever created, as well as the first cubic one. In addition, signage used throughout the store was inspired by “senjafuda” votive strips that are a common sight at temples and shrines across Japan.
Uniqlo also collaborated with local businesses on various products to mark the opening of the store. For example, small ceramic plates designed with traditional snack-maker Asakusa Tokiwado will be available for sale in limited quantities, while original tea cups will be given to the first 3,000 customers to spend 5,000 yen or more during the opening weekend. There are also original UTme! stamps that are only available at the Asakusa store to use in customizing T-shirts and tote bags.
Throughout the store, Uniqlo has highlighted products from local shops, from stationery to skateboards, encouraging customers to explore the neighborhood in order to purchase such items and discover others. Other features of the store include a larger than usual space where customers can try on and order tailor-made items, areas highlighting sustainability and fitting rooms that feature artworks by a local artist and photographs of Asakusa from the past and present.